Caed attaching device



May 30, 1933. G. w. LENTZ CARD ATTACHING DEVICE Filed Feb. 24, 1932 FIG. H

INVENTOR FIG- I.

Patented May 30, 1933 PATENT OFFICE,

V GEORGE W. LENTZ, OF ENOLA', PENNSYLVANIA CARD A'r'mcnme DEVICE Application filed February 24, 1932. Serial no. 594,973.

5 My invention relates to devices for attaching placards to walls, such as the sides of freight cars or other objects, at points beyond the reach of a man standing on the 5 ground.

Inthe handling of freight cars, for example, it is necessary that placards of various kinds be attached to their sides. Such placards are used to designate certain types of contents [that require care in handling, such as explosives, corrosive liquids, acids, or the'like. Routingcards are also attached to freight cars from time to time. When explosives are transported, it is customary to use cards" bearing the word explosive, and to aflix such cards on the sides. of the carrier four-and-a-half feet above the'floor line by means of capnails. The disadvantages of the usual practice of carrying a ladder from car to car in order to attach cards in this manner are obviously of a serious nature, even in a small freight yard. Not only is it inconvenient and hazardous to use a step-ladder in the placing of placards 5 on freight cars at the proper distance from the floor line, but it is no less hazardous for a man on theroof of a freight car to reach down to place a placard on the side of the car.

The principal object of this invention is to avoid theaforementioned difficulties by utilizing a tool which enables such placards tobe handily and quickly applied from the ground level. V

5 Ainore specific objectof this invention is to provide in such a; tool a cardholder which willlaccommodate varying sizes of cardswith equalfacility, and which will so hold the cards, preparatory to their application, as to facilitate their ready position-,

ing on thegwall to which they are to be 'attached. f x

A further object of the invention is to provide a card holder capable of holding a card firmly inwindy weather. This end I accomplish by the provision of card-holding means'on'the tool handle for engaging the bottom of thecard, and by additional card holding means 'on the tool head for gripping 0 the upper edge of the card, said jmeansrbeing releasable, when the nail is driven, by a downward pull of the tool handle.

Still other objects and advantages oharacterizing my invention will be evident from the description hereinafter of one embodi- 552 ment or example ofthe invention, the description having reference to the accordpanying drawing, whereof Fig. I-represents a side view ofthe card attaching device showing the manner in (so which a card is held thereby preparatory to its application to a'wall. 1

Fig. II represents a top view of the cardv attaching device. 1

Fig. III represents an end view of the card attaching device. p

With reference to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. I, there is showna long metal tool handle 1 with a claw 2 at its low-' 1 er end. This clawr2isbent slightly" to fa- 7'0 cilitate its function as a nail remover, it being frequently necessary to remove old tacks or nails before'applying a placard to a wall. The other end of the handle 1 is threaded and is screwed into a'nail-driving 75.- tool head 4. On the handle 1 there is soldered or welded a card holder '3.which comprises a stiff metal strip and forms with the handle a deep slot for the reception of a placard, such as indicated at A, the entrance to the slot being disposed under the head 4. As shown in Fig. I, themajor portion of the card A is sheathed in this slot, and accordingly'held against pressure of the wind.

A card retaining clip 5 is fastened to the 85. top of the tool head 4 by ascrew 6, one end of the clip 5 being engaged within a recess a 7. The retaining clip 5, is made of resilient material sufliciently stiff to grip 'firmly the upper edge of the card A between itself and the head 4, while permitting the release of the card, after its-application, by a sharp downwardpull of the handle 1. The free end of the retaining clip 5 is preferably provided with a finger piece 8 for convenience in the positioning of a card on the tool head,

4, and the retaining clip is directed toward the nail driving face 9 of the head .4.

A nail holder 10 is fastened to the underside of the head 4 by means of a screw 11,

body of a nail, such as designated at B, is

inserted. A groove 15 extends vertically across the face 9 of the tool head 4. The

cross section of the groove 15 is preferably shaped to conform to the shape of the head of a capnail. The groove 15 is in alignment with the slot 14 of the nail holderlO, and together with the nail holder 10 affords a-means of positioning a nail at right angles to the face 9 and substantially in the center thereof, andhence in position for driving. The point of the nail B protrudes from the slot of the nail holder 10 toward the placard A. .In an obvious manner the nail B is applied tothe tool head 4.- by inserting it with its head in the groove 15 and sliding it downward through the open end of the nail holder; slot 14:. The free .end of the nail holder 10 is spaced from the face 9-of the tool head and is curved to provide a surface 16 which substantially conforms with thecurvature of the card A when applied to thetool. The opposite end of the tool head 4 is fashioned into a hammer face 17 for use in driving a nail-home. after it is started with the nail holder 10.

The operation of the tool or device of this invention is as follows: A nail, such. as shown at B, is first placed as described within the tool holder 10 with its point projecting outward. A card is then mounted on the tool head with its upper end engaged bv the spring clip 5, and its major portion held against the tool handle by the card holder 3. Thereafter the operator swings'the tool directing the nail driving facel9 toward the spot on the wall where the card is to be attached. With a sharp blow he drives the point of-thenail into the car side. Then by a sharp downward pull with the long handle 1, he "disengages the nail head from the. groove 1-5 and at the same time disengages the top edge of the card A from" the spring clip 5, allowing the card to slide away from the holder 3. By taking care-that the'first nail is driven through the card A near its center line, the card 7 will be" positioned squarely upon the-wall,

and'additional nails serve only ton-attach it more securelyf After each nail is applied, the tool may be reversed and the hammer head 17 may be used to drive the nail home.

It will be apparent from the above description that the construction and arrange- I ment of the card holder 3 and clip 5 permit bifurcated free,

the use of a comparatively wide range of card sizes with the tool of this invention. Furthermore, the pressure of the wind is resisted by housing the major portion of the card in the long slot between the handle 1 and the card holder 3-; and there is little chance of the card slipping from the clip until nailed tothe car side. i

,In oontradistinction to certain previously pr oposed devices designed for generally similar purposes, thetool of my invention to the tool without the necessity of first piercing the placard vat predetermined points with one or more nails. a

'While' I have described my invention in some detail and with reference to a specific embodiment thereof, it will be evident that various changes may-be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without depart ing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims, and it will also be evident that certain features of the invention may at times be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other featuresof the invention. 7 V i i I V V I'Iaving thus described my invention, I claim: I 1; Ina card attaching device, a handle, a cardholder on said handle, a nail-driving head on said handle, and a clip'on the top of said'head for engaging the topportion of'the card while a nail is driven by said head. f I 2. In a card attaching device, a handle, a holder onsaidhandle forming therewith a slot for the reception of a portion of a card, a nail-driving head on said handle, and a spring clip on the top of said head for engaging the top edge of said card while a nail is driven by said head. i 3. In a card attaching device, a handle, a card holder on said handle, anail-driving head on said handle including a holder for directing a nail through the card, and a spring clip on the top of said head fw ith its end directed toward the nail holder for engaging the top edge of said card while a nail is driven therethrough by said head. at. Ina card attaching device, a handle, a -tool head on said handle havinga vertical groove adapted to receive a nail head and having; adjacent thereto a holder for maintaining thenail at riqht angles to said tool head, and a clip on said tool head for engaging the top edge of a card while a nail is driven therethrough by said head.

5. In a card attaching device, a handle, a tool head thereon having a driving face and a holder for maintaining a nail at right angles to said face, and means for holding a card in advance of the nailpoint before the nail is driven, said card holding means permits the ready application of a placard the nail is driven, by a downward pull of the handle.

6. In a card attaching device, a handle, a tool head on said handle, a holder forming with said handle an elongated slot for the reception of a card, said holder engaging the major portion of said card, a nail holder 1 adjacent to the face of said tool head having a slot for the reception of the body of a nail, said tool head having a slot for the head of the nail aligned with said aforementioned slot, and a clip on said tool head for engaging the top edge of the card while a nail is driven by said tool head.

In testimonv whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Enola, Pennsylvania, this 15th day of February, 1932.

GEORGE W. LENTZ. 

